Symmonds Set to Compete in Second Olympics on Monday

Former Willamette Athlete will Run in 800-Meter Prelims

LONDON, ENGLAND -- Former Willamette University runner Nick Symmonds ('06) will compete in his second consecutive Olympics when he participates in the preliminary heats of the 800-meter run on Monday, Aug. 6 in London, England. Heats in the 800 are scheduled to begin at 2:50 a.m. (Pacific Time).

Symmonds reached the semifinals of the 800-meter run at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 after taking first place at the U.S. Olympic Trials. This year, Symmonds won the U.S. Olympic Trials for his fifth consecutive national title and his second consecutive berth in the Olympics.

He registered a time of 1:43.92 at the Olympic Trials. Symmonds' personal record in the 800 is 1:43.76, set in Italy in 2010. More recently, he almost matched his top time in Monaco on July 20, when he finished in 1:43.78.

At the London Olympics, all of the preliminary heats will be held on Monday. The semifinals are set for Tuesday, Aug. 7, starting at 11:55 a.m. (Pacific Time). The finals will be held on Thursday, Aug. 9 at 12 p.m. (Pacific Time).

In addition to competing at the Beijing Olympics, Symmonds also has participated in the IAAF World Championships three times in the 800-meter run. He reached the semifinals of the World Championships in 2007, placed sixth in 2009 and earned fifth place in 2011.

As a student-athlete at Willamette, Symmonds won seven NCAA national championships in track and field from 2003 through 2006. He achieved four NCAA titles in the 800-meter run and added three NCAA titles in the 1,500-meter run.